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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29223915">it's getting harder to breathe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamrenstark/pseuds/iamrenstark'>iamrenstark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aaron Hotchner Whump, Angst, Car Accidents, Character Death, Drowning, Happy Ending, Hurt Aaron Hotchner, Hurt Spencer, Hurt Spencer Reid, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau &amp; Spencer Reid Friendship, Not Really Character Death, Parent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Protective Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, Spencer Reid Angst, Spencer Reid Fluff, Spencer Reid Gets a Hug, Spencer Reid Needs a Hug, Spencer Reid Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:01:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29223915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamrenstark/pseuds/iamrenstark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rolling him back over with shaking hands and heavy coughs wracking his body, he pressed his fingers to Hotch's neck. </p><p>No.</p><p>Releasing a terrified sob, Reid clasped his hands together and pressed down on his boss' chest, and didn't stop. "One. . . Two. . . Three. . . Hotch, c-come. . . on. . . Please. . ."</p><p> </p><p>(Or, the SUV bringing Hotch, JJ and Reid back to the jet crashes.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aaron Hotchner &amp; Spencer Reid, Jennifer "JJ" Jareau &amp; Spencer Reid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>184</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>it's getting harder to breathe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yes i am still working on the soulmate au, don't worry guys. also, after having finally finishing the whole show, can we all just collectively agree that nothing after season seven happened???</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At first, Reid didn't know what was happening, which should have been his first warning that something was really, really wrong. Reid didn't just <em>not</em> know what was going on, he didn't forget. </p><p>But as the SUV spun on the slick road, Hotch having jerked the wheel on instinct when he saw the group of deer darting across the road, Spencer couldn't process anything at all. One moment they were on the road, the next they were not. </p><p>When his eyes opened, his first thought was, <em>I can't breathe,</em> and then he realized why that was. They were in the river. The SUV, with JJ, Hotch and him, was in the <em>river</em> and it was filled to the brim with murky water. </p><p>Reid jerked in alarm, keeping his mouth closed as he unbuckled his seatbelt, turning to Hotch. The man's eyes were still closed, and his mouth was open, a sign that there was water in his lungs. He'd never felt as panicked before as he did then, twisting to find JJ in the back in a horrifyingly similar position. </p><p>It hit him then, that he had to make a choice. He had to save someone first, and whoever it was would undoubtedly have a better chance of survival than the other. Spencer knew statistics, he knew the chances of either of them surviving this, and he also knew that he was Spencer Reid, and he'd beat those statistics if it killed him. </p><p>Without a second to spare, Reid darted his gaze to see JJ's open window, something he'd argued with her to close right before Hotch saw the deer, and he haphazardly made his way into the backseat, his lungs absolutely screaming for air. JJ's seatbelt came undone easily, and he ignored the injuries on both himself and her if he wanted to get them all out of there. </p><p>With one last look to Hotch's still unmoving form, Spencer wrapped his arm firmly around JJ and tugged her toward the window, panicked as blackness began to dance across his vision. </p><p>He couldn't keep his mouth closed anymore, and when it opened, trying to suck in any air it could, it was met with the cold, unforgiving river water that was so cold it bit, but also <em>burned</em>. As his lungs spasmed, his eyes wide, Reid didn't stop pulling JJ with him out of the SUV. </p><p>Swimming with only one arm had to be the hardest thing he'd ever done, but he did finally breach the surface, hacking and coughing so hard he almost went under again. Within a few moments, he'd managed to pull them to the shore, dragging JJ's still form into the dirt and rocks. </p><p>"Jayje," he gasped, still coughing and panting. He could hear his lungs rattling with each breath, and knew he had to get back to Hotch, but JJ wasn't breathing. </p><p>"JJ, c-come on," Reid coughed, turning her on her side and smacking her back as hard as he could, once, twice, three times until she was suddenly vomiting up the water, coughing so harshly her throat was sure to be sore when she woke up. </p><p>She still wasn't awake, but she was breathing, small shallow breaths, a small wound on her head the only visible injury besides her blue tinted lips. </p><p>Glancing up to the road, he prayed to God the team would get there soon, and then he dived back into the water. </p><p>Spencer's eyes burned from the dirty water, but he kept them open anyway, pushing himself as hard as he could back to the FBI issued SUV that still held his boss. </p><p>Climbing back in through JJ's window, he could see Hotch's arm floating upward, and it sent a chill through him, one that wasn't from the deep, bone achingly cold water. Spencer tried to undo the seatbelt, and panicked when it didn't immediately come undone, but on the second try it finally came lose.</p><p>With the water still in his lungs, Reid didn't even realize he had to cough until he already was, once again sucking in lungfuls of murky water. </p><p>Tears burned at his eyes, his whole body shaking as he tugged at Hotch. The man was heavy, and completely limp, making Reid mentally curse. He panicked, even as he pulled desperately at him. </p><p>Hotch couldn't die. Jack couldn't lose his father. Reid <em>couldn't</em> let Hotch die. </p><p>With one final tug, the man in question was finally out of the metal death trap and his arms were wrapped around Reid, the only way the doctor would be able to pull the man out. </p><p>Spencer's vision blacked out for a solid second, and he knew if he didn't get out of the water <em>now</em>, they were both dead. </p><p>In what had to be a miracle, they breached the water's surface that second. Reid was once again throwing up the disgusting water and coughing desperately. </p><p>The same way he'd dragged JJ, he brought Hotch to the shore and rolled him on his side, even as he wheezed. </p><p>He smacked the man's back. </p><p>Nothing. </p><p>Rolling him back over with shaking hands and heavy coughs wracking his body, he pressed his fingers to Hotch's neck. </p><p><em>No</em>.</p><p>Releasing a terrified sob, Reid clasped his hands together and pressed down on his boss' chest, and didn't stop. "One. . . Two. . . Three. . . Hotch, c-come. . . on. . . <em>Please</em>. . ."</p><p>Reid got to thirty compressions and immediately bent over Hotch to give him two rescue breaths, and then continued on. It didn't matter that he couldn't feel his fingers or that he could hear his lungs rattling with every breath. </p><p>He couldn't pay attention to himself, or to JJ's sluggishly bleeding head. He couldn't pay attention to anything except the fact that Hotch's heart wasn't beating. </p><p>"Come on!" Reid sobbed weakly, his arms shaking as he once again leant forward to give his boss rescue breaths. </p><p>It was then that he heard car doors slamming, desperate shouts. </p><p>"Reid, Hotch!"</p><p>"JJ!"</p><p>Spencer ignored the tears streaking down his face, ignored the fact that he could barely breath, he just kept giving Hotch compressions, he just kept breathing for him. He just <em>kept him alive</em>. </p><p>"Please, please. . ."</p><p>"Kid! Reid!" Morgan shouted, and he knew the rest of the team were making their way down to them, but he couldn't stop. </p><p>"H'tch," Reid wheezed, one final time, and then the man began to spew the water from his lungs, turning himself on his side with the younger man's help, his eyes fluttering open and closed again as he hacked, his whole body shaking. </p><p>"Guys!"</p><p>Reid finally looked up, terrified as Emily, Morgan and Rossi approached. "They need. . . hospital," he rasped, wheezing heavily and falling back on his knees. </p><p>JJ was still unconscious, but her breaths were billowing in front of her, white against the pale blue of her lips, and Hotch was finally waking up, a low groan leaving his lips as he continued to cough just like Spencer. </p><p>"Jesus Christ, kid. What happened?"</p><p>Huffing, Reid allowed himself to finally fall into his back, staring up at the darkening sky. "Fucking. . . deer."</p><p>When he passed out, he didn't even notice.</p><hr/><p>"You're an idiot, you know that?"</p><p>A low moan left Reid's throat, his brows furrowing even as his eyes stayed closed. </p><p>"What'd. . . do?"</p><p>"You almost died for us, Spencer," JJ whispered, and when he realized just who was talking to him, he finally opened his eyes. </p><p>His eyelids felt heavy, but he kept them open anyway, finding the blonde staring down at him with pursed lips. Cataloguing her injuries, he calmed down when he realize all he could see was a small cut on her forehead that had two butterfly bandages on it. </p><p>"You 'kay?" Spencer asked, blinking blearily. </p><p>"I'm <em>fine</em>, Spence. Are you? And don't lie to me."</p><p>Reid took a moment to figure out if he felt any pain, then realized yes, he did, he nodded anyway. "Don't think I was hurt. 'sides my seatbelt. Bruised my chest."</p><p>He didn't have to look to know, could feel the ache.</p><p>"You know what else bruised your chest? CPR. Your heart stopped beating right on that shore. If Morgan hadn't been there. . ." JJ trailed off, looking down. </p><p>"He was there, though. I'm okay, we're all okay," Spencer assured, and then his heart skipped a beat. "Hotch <em>is</em> okay, right?"</p><p>"Yeah, Spence. Hotch is fine. You almost weren't, though. God, what were you thinking going after both of us?" She snapped suddenly, her eyes wide and filled with tears. </p><p>"You almost weren't too! Same with Hotch!" He returned, panting with the effort it took to argue with her. It couldn't have been long, and his lungs were--no doubt--still recovering from all the water they took in. "That's what I was thinking, Jayje. I was thinking that you and Hotch weren't moving, and then I was thinking about Henry and Jack, and so once I got you out I went back."</p><p>Tears filled his own eyes, making him drop his gaze. "I couldn't. . . I couldn't just let either of you guys die. If it was gonna be anyone, it was gonna be me, JJ," Reid whispered.</p><p>Sighing, the blonde sat down next to him and pulled him against her chest in a hug. Spencer sniffed, resting his chin on her shoulder. </p><p>"Thank you for saving me, Spencer. Thank you for saving Hotch. And thank you for staying alive."</p><p>Reid hugged her back, blinking his tears away. "Always."</p><p>"Uncle Spencer?"</p><p>A grin broke out on the doctor's face as he looked past his friend to find Will and Emily standing in the doorway with Henry. </p><p>"Hey, buddy!"</p><p>The little boy darted into the room and accepted his mother's help up onto the bed, throwing his arms around his godfather's neck. </p><p>"Thank you for saving Mommy, Uncle Spencer," he said, muffled into the hospital gown.</p><p>"You bet, Henry," Reid returned, grinning at JJ and Will, who watched them with small smiles. </p><p>Later, Jessica would bring Jack by to see him, and Hotch would thank him just as JJ had, and he would see just how much he really mattered to his team, to his family. </p><p>For now, though, he just hugged his godson, and he smiled.</p><p>
  <em>"Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Brad Henry.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i'm just ignoring homework and writing hurt reid fics instead😀</p></blockquote></div></div>
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